Archive for February 5, 2010

Kali Ciesemier v. Sabriel

illustrated by Kali Ciesemier

  • Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Kali Ciesemier, and I am pleased to be part of the Baltimorean group making an appearance in this project! I graduated from The Maryland Institute College of Art in ’08, and now I’m lucky enough to be working as a freelance illustrator and teaching part time at MICA. Vintage posters and art deco design are enormously inspiring to me, and as a result I tend to work a lot with flat color and line. I’ve always been a big sci-fi/fantasy reader and I’m excited to indulge some of my nerdier tendencies for this project!

  • Why did you pick the story you chose?

Sabriel is a young adult fantasy story, which is an entire genre I never get a chance to work with in my editorial assignments. There isn’t a whole lot of art that has been created for the book series, besides the lovely covers by Leo and Diane Dillon, so I’m looking forward to working without much preconceived imagery. It’s got a strong heroine, secret places, undead creatures, mysterious/scary happenings, and half the world is in a vaguely 1930-ish era while the other half is medieval-ish but with MAGIC. I first read “Sabriel” when I was younger, but I keep returning to it because the world is so unique, interesting, and rich.

So doesn’t this look like it’s a book already on the shelves? Kali is thoroughly inspiring and she’s a real gem to be participating! Her first illustration for Sabriel will be up on February 26, but if you can’t wait til then you can always check out her stunning portfolio and her blog as well.

Whew! What a week, right? Just you wait to see what we’ve got cooked up for you next week. Have a lovely weekend and stay tuned on Monday for a couple of posts from me and my first Alice illustration!

February 5, 2010 at 10:13 am 7 comments

Phil McAndrew v. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

illustrated by Phil McAndrew

  • Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Phil McAndrew and I’m an illustrator and cartoonist from Syracuse, NY. I’ve created illustrations for magazines, newspapers, animated television spots, theatre scenery, t-shirts, posters, album covers, gallery exhibits, websites and fun. My mini comics have been praised by the American Mustache Institute and on USA Today’s Pop Candy blog. I’ve also contributed comics to a number of anthology books and websites, including Top Shelf 2.0 and all three volumes of the You Ain’t No Dancer books from New Reliable Press. I’m a founding member of Found Hat Press, a collective of talented young illustrators and cartoonists. I love pizza.

  • Why did you pick the book you chose?

I read the book once when I was ten years old and loved it, somehow totally forgot about it, and then rediscovered it in college. It’s for children really, but I’ve probably read it a five or six times now as an adult. It’s about two kids, a brother and sister, running away from home and hiding out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The story is fun, the humor is subtle and sharp at the same time. The characters are as fascinating and complex as the museum they run away to. I’d absolutely include it on my list of favorite books. I think it’ll be a fun challenge, creating illustrations for this story.

The energy in Phil’s illustrations and comics floors me– I love his attention to imperfect characters and his crazy linework! It’ll be quite fun to see the first of these illustrations on February 25, don’t you agree? But why not check out his blog and portfolio?

The last amazing contibutor is up next! Oh, what will the story be? Wait and see in five minutes!

February 5, 2010 at 10:05 am 10 comments

Laura Park v. Geek Love

Last day of intro posts, but get ready to see some exciting additions. I updated Daniel’s post with his bookplate too, check it out! And remember, we kick off the illustrations on Monday (with a little bit of Alice embarking upon her journey! So far it looks crazy!) so please keep your eyes peeled!

First up, the lovely Laura Park.

illustrated by Laura Park

  • Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a cartoonist and illustrator living in Chicago with a sleepy cat and a cranky pigeon.  In a box I have a load of documents that say I’m ‘Laura Park’ but sometimes my shoes don’t fit and I find strange trinkets shoved in my pockets.  Once I found the initials “SJ” stiched in green near the collars of my pajamas.  But that was a long time ago.  Currently I’m fond of collecting colorful inks and hoarding Lady Falcon pen nibs.  One day I hope to be less lousy and own an observation bee hive.

  • Why did you pick the story you chose?

Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love is an old favorite.  When I first read it I filled many a sketchbook with doodles of Oly and the rest of the Binewski troupe.  In general carnivals and the further varieties of human anatomy are of interest to me.  To me the most singular thing about Geek Love is how all the more grotesque elements soften and become dim compared to the depictions of burning devotion and family dissolution.  I am excited and a bit nervous to try doing it justice with ink and paint.

Laura’s comics, illustration and lettering make me so happy, it’s hard to explain. Every time I see something new from her, my first thought is “All right!” But as Geek Love is another favorite of mine I can’t tell you how excited I was to find out that was her choice. When she shares her first illustration on February 24 , I’ll be prepared for that awesomeness. Maybe. In the meantime you can see lots more on her Flickr photostream.

Next up, the wonderful Phil McAndrew!

February 5, 2010 at 10:00 am 2 comments

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